The Best Cafes & Coffee Shops in Inverness
Explore Inverness’s best cafes and coffee shops. A handpicked and local-led guide to the Highland capitals’ best spots for coffee, local flavours, and warm hospitality, and a moment of calm between city exploring and road tripping.
Specialty coffee & pastries at Birch.
Inverness may be best known as the capital of the Highlands, but its café scene has quietly come into its own in recent years.
Beyond the postcard views and historic streets, you’ll find a growing collection of modern cafés and speciality coffee spots where good food, thoughtful sourcing, and genuinely excellent coffee take centre stage.
As Highlands locals who live nearby and regularly spend weekends dipping into Inverness for coffee dates, brunch plans, and lazy lunches between errands or live music nights, we’ve watched this scene evolve first-hand.
What’s emerged is a clutch of cafés doing things properly: seasonal brunch menus at XOKO, artisan pastries and speciality coffee at Birch, standout sweet treats at Perk, and relaxed spaces at Roots, Cup and Cone, and Sùgh that feel as comfortable for locals as they do for visitors.
This Inverness cafe guide is deliberately focused. We’re skipping the old-fashioned tearooms, tourist traps, and chains, and instead highlighting cafés where standout, super-delicious brunches, lunches, and speciality coffee are the main event.
These are places you’ll want to plan into your Inverness itinerary, not just stumble into by chance.
Whether you’re breaking up a long drive on the NC500, starting a road trip to Skye, or discovering the city itself, these cafes offer unhurried pauses amid busy days of exploring.
At A Glance: Best Cafes & Coffee In Inverness
A short and sweet guide to our very favourite cafes and coffee shops in Inverness:
Birch (best for pastries and speciality coffee)
XOKO (best for brunch & lunch)
Perk (best for speciality doughnuts & coffee)
Sùgh Ùr Cafè (best for a traditional breakfast)
Roots (best for vegetarian eats)
The Bakery (best for cakes, breads, and sandwiches)
Cup & Cone (best for coffee and bakes)
The Original Milk Bar (best for a quick coffee)
Grain and Grind (best for a buzzy vibe and coffee)
Inverness Coffee Roasting Co (best for dark roast coffee)
Bonus: The Victorian Market (for food stalls, quick bites & global eats)
For full details, including menus, locations, and what to expect, check the comprehensive guide below.
The best Cafes and Coffee Shops in Inverness
Birch
Best for: breakfast, brunch, speciality coffee and bakes.
Birch may now have a small handful of locations, but the café’s roots are firmly in the Highlands - and the Inverness outpost carries that same laid-back, unfussy, quality-first feel of their Skye home.
First and foremost a speciality coffee shop, Birch is our favourite spot in the city for coffee, and the place we consistently recommend travellers head for their caffeine fix. We’d go so far as to say that Birch is a destination coffee shop and worth taking time to visit.
The menu is simple but carefully considered and beautifully done: buttery croissants, flaky pastries, overnight oats, and sourdough toasts topped with avocado, poached eggs, or seasonal ingredients that change throughout the year.
The coffee, however, is the star, roasted in small batches on Skye and prepared in the shop by skilled baristas who take care with every cup. Expect a smooth, well-balanced brew, whether you’re ordering a flat white to drink in or grabbing an espresso or long black to go.
The space fills up quickly, especially on weekends, but it’s always worth the stop for a reliably excellent start to the day.
XOKO Bakehouse and Cantina
Best for: brunch, lunch, and an inventive Mexican-cantina menu.
Leaning towards a Mexican cantina-style café, XOKO is hands-down our favourite spot in Inverness for lunch.
The space is bright, relaxed, and always buzzing, with a menu built around fresh, bold, flavour-packed dishes that feel both comforting and a little bit creative. Expect flavoursome sandwiches (grilled three cheese on sourdough with bacon jam is another level), loaded croissants, delicious brunches, and rotating specials, along with good coffee and a cabinet full of pastries.
There’s a nod to Mexican flavours throughout the menu (co-owner Fernando hails from Mexico) and serious flair in classic dishes and inventive, bold plates we adore.
It’s hard to choose a favourite, but the Frijoles Rancheros (Mexican bean stew), Mexican black beans (black beans, avocado, feta, coriander on toasted sourdough), and avocado on sourdough toast (with wild garlic pesto) are all strong contenders!
Also, try the gooey cinnamon buns, and thank me later.
Perk Coffee + Doughnuts
Best for: speciality doughnuts and well-made coffee
Perk has built a loyal following in Inverness thanks to its standout doughnuts and consistently good coffee. I’m a huge fan, and this Inverness cafe-come-sweet-treat-come-cocktail specialist is my guilty pleasure every time I’m in the city.
It’s a bright, modern café where the counter does most of the talking, piled high with generously filled doughnuts in rotating flavours that go well beyond the usual jam-and-custard.
While the seasonal selection is constantly changing, my favourite to date is possibly their carrot doughnut. Pillowy soft, piled high with icing, and utterly delicious!
The coffee offering might not be speciality, but it is solid, making it an easy place to linger rather than just a grab-and-go stop. Seating is limited, but the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, and it’s a great option if you’re after something sweet alongside a proper flat white.
We should also mention they offer soups and sandwiches at lunch time, but I’m far too tempted by the sugary goodness of the doughnuts to have eaten proper food here! We think Perk is ideal for a mid-morning sugar hit, an afternoon treat, or anyone who takes their doughnuts seriously.
Tip: Visit after 4pm for mini doughnuts and killer espresso martinis!
Sùgh Ùr Café
Best for: a traditional breakfast with a modern edge
Sùgh Ùr Café is a dependable choice if you’re craving a more traditional breakfast done well. The focus here is on hearty plates, generous portions, and familiar flavours, served in a relaxed, cosy setting.
Expect full breakfasts, rolls, and classic brunch staples, alongside lighter options and good coffee. While it leans more traditional than some of the newer cafés on this list, the quality and consistency make it a solid stop, particularly if you want something filling before a day of exploring.
A good pick for early starts, no-nonsense breakfasts, and comforting classics.
Roots
Best for: vegetarian and plant-forward brunch dishes
Roots is Inverness’s go-to café for vegetarian and plant-based food that feels thoughtful rather than restrictive. The menu changes regularly and makes clever use of seasonal produce, with dishes that are colourful, filling, and full of flavour.
Brunch plates and light lunches dominate, often with vegan and gluten-free options clearly marked. The atmosphere is calm and welcoming, making it a lovely place to slow down over lunch rather than rush through a quick bite.
Roots was closed for a bit of while and sorely missed; we’re delighted to welcome this tucked-away gem back to the city scene.
A great option for vegetarians, vegans, or anyone keen on fresh, nourishing food that doesn’t compromise on taste. Highly recommend.
The Bakery
Best for: cakes, breads, and classic sandwiches
As the name suggests, The Bakery is all about the bakes. This is a reliable stop for freshly made cakes, good bread, and simple, well-filled sandwiches that work just as well for lunch as they do for a quick takeaway.
The counter selection changes daily, but you can usually expect a tempting mix of sweet treats and savoury options. Perfect if you want something easy, comforting, and unfussy, especially when you’re short on time.
Cup & Cone
Best for: coffee, bakes, and a relaxed café stop
Tucked away in Inverness’s Crown area, Cup & Cone is a small, friendly café that attracts more locals than travellers, largely thanks to its off-the-beaten-track location. That said, it’s well worth the short walk from the city centre if you’re looking for a quieter, more neighbourhood feel.
The coffee is well made using beans from Inverness Coffee Roasting Co, with all the usual classics on offer — from flat whites to mochas — alongside alternatives like matcha and dirty chai. The atmosphere is warm and unhurried, making it an easy place to slow down rather than rush through a quick stop.
While the menu is intentionally simple, the sweet treats more than make up for it. The counter is packed with homemade cakes and pastries (the buttery millionaire’s shortbread is a standout), and the ice cream counter — stocked with scoops from the nearby Black Isle — is hard to resist.
A lovely choice with quietly stylish decor and outdoor benches that’s perfect for a casual coffee, a slice of cake, or a quiet pause between exploring the city.
The Original Milk Bar
Best for: a quick coffee or takeaway stop
Compact and perfectly placed in the city, The Original Milk Bar is firmly in quick-stop territory, ideal if you need a fast caffeine fix rather than a long sit-down. Coffee, their own Milk Bar blend comes from nearby Inverness Coffee Roasters, is well-made and reliably good, and service is efficient, making it popular with locals and travellers on the go.
There are a few sweet treats and light options available, a small riverside terrace for sunny days with fantastic castle views, and a scattering of indoor tables.
Grain and Grind
Best for: a buzzy atmosphere and small batch coffee
A relative newcomer to Inverness’s coffee scene, Grain and Grind has quickly established itself as one of the city’s liveliest café spots. It’s often busy - and rightly so. The coffee is their own small-batch roast, roasted locally in Inverness and brewed well, with around 20 types available at any time.
The counter is hard to ignore, stacked with extra-large brownies, generous bakes, savoury snacks, and ready-made sandwiches, making it an easy choice for a quick lunch or mid-afternoon coffee break. Everything is available to eat in or take away.
The space draws a mix of locals, students, and visitors seeking something a little off the main drag. It’s friendly, informal, and welcoming (dog- and family-friendly too) with a real sense of local energy.
A solid option if you like your coffee served with a bit of buzz and don’t mind a busy room.
Inverness Coffee Roasting Co
Best for: darker roast coffee and coffee enthusiasts
Inverness Coffee Roasting Co. is one for people who care deeply about what’s in their cup. As the name suggests, the focus here is firmly on coffee, with a preference for darker roasts and bold flavours.
There’s a small seating area and some stools, though this coffee stop is predominantly a roastery, and the wood-panelled space is simple and cosy, letting the coffee take centre stage.
If you like a strong, robust brew, and you’re keen to explore Inverness’s roasting scene, head here; you’ll find Inverness Coffee in specialist cafes across the city, but the shop is the best place to hand-select a bag of beans, and the friendly staff are always on hand with a recommendation.
